Le'Veon Bell | Running Back

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Bell (6-1, 230) toted the rock 671 times for 3,346 yards (4.99 YPC) and 33 touchdowns in his three-year Spartans career, catching 78 passes. A bit of a sluggish mover lacking quickness and lateral agility, Bell's burst is average and he is a blocking-dependent back who can't create his own running room. He ran 4.60 at the Combine. Bell is excellent in the passing game for a big back, though, consistently standing up blitzing defenders in pass protection. He's a strong fit in Todd Haley's pass-first scheme. Despite talent limitations, Bell will have an opportunity to be a high-scoring running back as a rookie. Fri, Apr 26, 2013 07:43:00 PM

Pass happy NFL teams are excited about Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell's blocking and receiving skills, according to former scout Daniel Jeremiah.

Jeremiah believes Bell is "a good fit for the pro game." That comfort in and agility in space is nice, but we worry that Bell takes too long to get going and might need to be given the second level to succeed. regardless, Bell could be selected on the draft's second day. Fri, Apr 12, 2013 09:33:00 AM

The Baltimore Sun's Aaron Wilson reports Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell has visits and workouts with three teams.

The three teams are the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All three teams are likely in need of a downhill, goal-line running back, which Bell can provide. The Buccaneers will be looking for a complementary back to Doug Martin while the Jets and Cowboys are in more need of a ball-carrier after losing theirs via free agency or to injuries in the past year. Thu, Mar 28, 2013 04:09:00 PM

National Football Post's Russ Lande writes Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell could go in the second- to-third round.

Lande's report seems to be consistent with what's been reported as of late. Most recently, NFL.com's Gil Brandt said Bell could be picked "at the top of the second-round." He compared Bell to Chuck Muncie, a running back in the 1980s. Sat, Mar 16, 2013 08:17:00 PM

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Pass happy NFL teams are excited about Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell's blocking and receiving skills, according to former scout Daniel Jeremiah.

Jeremiah believes Bell is "a good fit for the pro game." That comfort in and agility in space is nice, but we worry that Bell takes too long to get going and might need to be given the second level to succeed. regardless, Bell could be selected on the draft's second day.

The Baltimore Sun's Aaron Wilson reports Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell has visits and workouts with three teams.

The three teams are the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All three teams are likely in need of a downhill, goal-line running back, which Bell can provide. The Buccaneers will be looking for a complementary back to Doug Martin while the Jets and Cowboys are in more need of a ball-carrier after losing theirs via free agency or to injuries in the past year.

National Football Post's Russ Lande writes Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell could go in the second- to-third round.

Lande's report seems to be consistent with what's been reported as of late. Most recently, NFL.com's Gil Brandt said Bell could be picked "at the top of the second-round." He compared Bell to Chuck Muncie, a running back in the 1980s.

Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell "could be picked up at the top of the second-round," according to NFL.com's Gil Brandt.

Brandt goes on to compare Bell to Chuck Muncie, who finished playing in 1984. He adds that the running back has lost around 20 or 25 pounds since the season, and that can be attributed to working with Lorenzo White during the offseason. We think Bell takes too long to get to the line of scrimmage, but this new playing weight might change that.

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah writes that Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell is a fit for the Green Bay Packers.

"Positives: Great size, nimble feet, can block/catch. Negatives: one-speed RB that lacks initial burst," he wrote. "Good in pass pro, natural hands and value in short yardage. Lots of singles/doubles, no HR's [home runs]." Bell was recently named the top running back in the class by Jeremiah's colleague Bucky Brooks, who added "and it's not even close."

The NFL Network's Bucky Brooks believes Michigan State's Le'Veon Bell is the top RB in this class, "and it's not even close."

Brooks adds that "there is not a more complete back in this draft than Bell" and cites the Spartan's receiving skills, ability to carry a heavy workload, and hard-nosed running style. "Now, that's not to say Bell is without flaws," Brooks writes. "He doesn't show explosive first-step quickness, and some scouts worry about his overall toughness, despite the remarkable production." He ultimately compares Bell to Steven Jackson.

"I think that's something that we'll look at, maybe a situational-type guy who can come in in certain situations and close the game in short yardage and just give us a change of pace, something different," Webster said. The Titans have plenty of options for a running back in the draft, but it'll be interesting to see which player they believe can be a short yardage runner.

The NFL Network's Buck Brooks ranks Michigan State's Le'Veon Bell as the third overall RB in the 2013 class.

Bell checks in behind Gio Bernard and Eddie Lacy, while listed before Montee Ball and Andre Ellington. Brooks does not given any reasoning to the ranking, but Bell flashes nice agility for someone of his size and has soft hands as a receiver. The biggest question is if he has enough speed to create lanes for himself when not given the second level.

Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell tweeted that he is attempting to slim down to 228 pounds during the pre-draft process.

Bell turned down Chipotle, which is difficult. The junior probably played close to 240 pounds this season and it showed with his foot quickness, or lack thereof. Bell is quite agile for a big man, but must be given the second level to get up to full speed.

Michigan State junior RB Le'Veon Bell told head coach Mark Dantonio that he is declaring for April's Draft during a meeting on Wednesday.

"He's all in," Bell's mentor Donis Toler said, and added that the running back has an agent. "Upset's not a good word to use, but he (Dantonio) was taken aback a little bit. He thought he had a good chance of Le'Veon coming back." Bell is going to be a polarizing prospect and could go as high as the second-round or slide into the third day.

This is a fairly positive comparison, but finding a current comparison for Bell seems to be a difficult task. The junior does very well when up to speed, showing plus agility for a bigger back at the second level, but he takes some extra time to get going.

Brooks adds that there are "some scouts who love him as a workhorse with size, strength and power," while others question the junior's "toughness and willingness to bang between tackles." It is not a good sign when evaluators question a bigger back's strength on contact, but our biggest concern with Bell is how long it takes him to get him up to speed.

Michigan State junior RB Le'Veon Bell rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries against TCU.

The box score is great, but we wouldn't be surprised if Bell creates a wide range of projections leading up to April's draft, if he declares. The junior is an upright runner that struggles if not given a few steps to get up to speed. However, with a full head of steam behind him, Bell is tough to bring down and flashes solid agility for a bigger back, especially as a pass catcher.

Kiper says Bell is a "very patient runner, one of those guys that just wears the defense down" with deceptive quickness. He does address Bell's lack of initial burst and that could hurt the running back behind the line of scrimmage, but Kiper appears to be a big fan. The Spartan has generated a lot of second-round buzz, so we will see if that evaluation sticks once NFL teams finalize their junior grades.